What Could Have Been
by BlossomPepperdoodleVonYumYum
Summary: What if Annabeth had never gotten over Luke? One-shot of an alternate ending to chapter nineteen of The Last Olympian.


When she was thirteen, Annabeth had done the impossible; she had borne the weight of the world on her shoulders and survived through the ordeal. At that time, Annabeth thought that taking Atlas's burden would be the most painful thing she would ever experience. But seeing Luke's life slowly fade away in front of her right now proved her wrong.

"Annabeth," Luke slowly gasped. His entire left side was bleeding from his self-inflicted wound, the wound that had ended Kronos's power but would also end his own life soon. "Annabeth," he breathed once more. "I'm so sorry...for everything...I've done." He brushed his pale fingertips against the back of Annabeth's small hand, tacitly pleading for forgiveness for his sins but not asking outright either, for fear of her response. Annabeth's eyes watered at the sight of Luke, the fearless warrior to whom she had always looked up, trembling like a scared little child.

"Luke," Annabeth cried. "Don't talk anymore. I've already sent for the Apollo cabin to come. They'll be here soon to help. Save your strength. Have some ambrosia first." Annabeth ducked from under Percy's arm and rummaged through her pack for a square of the brownie-like magical substance. FInding a piece, she broke off a corner and lifted it to Lukes' cracked lips.

Instead of accepting the gift, though, Luke turned his head away. He groped around for Annabeth's hand and having found it, weakly clutched it in his own. "No Annabeth," he croaked. "It won't help. I'm too far gone already."

"How do you know?" Annabeth languished. "It could work! We won't know if we don't try."

Luke smiled softly. "We both know it's futile. Rather than waste it on me, use it on the others who need it just as much."

"But-"

"Annabeth listen. I don't have much time left. There is something very important I must tell you." He took a deep rattling breath. "I love you. I've loved you since the day I found you, the day you joined me and Thalia and became part of my life. Do you…have you….ever loved me?" Luke looked up at her with his clear blue eyes, the eyes Annabeth had fallen in love with since she was seven. The eyes that she had dreamed of every night in her sleep, even after learning of their owner's betrayal. The eyes that were everything to her.

Annabeth's mouth suddenly turned dry. She couldn't believe that after years of not knowing how the stoic Luke felt about her, she was finally hearing him confess his true feelings of love to her. How she wanted to say yes to Luke's question! However, looking at Percy's face, she couldn't. Percy was so good to her; his sincerity and sweet naivete moved her. And unlike Luke's mysterious dark side, which had broken her heart more than once in the past, Percy's adorkable personality made her laugh.

Glancing at Percy's expression right now, she saw something foreign to his features: a twinge of fear in his eyes that hadn't been present even when he was battling Kronos earlier. Percy was usually extremely confident, sometimes to the point of being reckless, but he looked truly frightened right now, as if his entire life depended on Annabeth's next words.

Annabeth knew she couldn't do this to him. She couldn't hurt such an innocent person, someone extremely important to her. So she did what she did best: she swallowed her pain.

"I'm so sorry Luke," Annabeth struggled to get out. "I thought I did, but...I love you only like a brother." Seeing the flicker of hope leave Luke's eyes pierced her heart like Cupid's arrow gone astray, but what was done was done. Annabeth couldn't take back her words now.

"Ah...well, I'm glad you let me know anyway, Annabeth." Luke whispered. His brave facade was starting to crumble, so he thought it best to let go now. "Thank you for always being there for me. I will never forget-" The light finally died from his bright blue eyes.

Annabeth sobbed more than she ever had in her entire life. Her thin frail body racked with her cries, so Percy was trying to comfort her as best as he could. However, no one could truly understand the pain she was going through, the pain of heartache that was hundreds of thousands of times more excruciating than the pain of bearing the weight of the world. This was the pain that only the bravest of the brave could endure. This was the pain of letting go of true love once more.


End file.
